Bad Drivers

This area might have the worst drivers. People on multi lane roads drive slow in both lanes blocking the flow of traffic and creating dangerous situations
The slow drivers on the inside lane are not necessarily q-tips. Often it is a soccer mom in a mini van with the family sticker on rear window or someone on a cell phone.
A couple of simple rules to follow.
1. If you are driving on the inside lane and a group of cars are on your rear you should move over. Regardless of the speed you are driving.
2. Do not drive side-by-side with a car in the next lane. You are not leaving an "out" in case something bad happens and people can't get around you.

Pintail wrote:

This area might have the worst drivers. People on multi lane roads drive slow in both lanes blocking the flow of traffic and creating dangerous situations
The slow drivers on the inside lane are not necessarily q-tips. Often it is a soccer mom in a mini van with the family sticker on rear window or someone on a cell phone.
A couple of simple rules to follow.
1. If you are driving on the inside lane and a group of cars are on your rear you should move over. Regardless of the speed you are driving.
2. Do not drive side-by-side with a car in the next lane. You are not leaving an "out" in case something bad happens and people can't get around you.

This is a topic I’ve been discussing with various people since I’ve moved here from NY a year ago. I couldn’t believe the horrendous driving that occurred in phoenix and its surrounding area. I understand your point of slow drivers blocking the passing lane, but what about the tailgating, cutting off, and just doing stupid things on the roads. Now I’m not a slow driver by any means, but I witness an accident where a lady at an adjacent street cut in front of a car a few cars in front of me and hit him. She could not wait another 10 seconds for the cars to pass. I see drivers do this all the time here; it seems they want to get hit. This is coming from a New Yorker who drove with the infamous streets of NY and it amazes me that it’s worse here. What’s the deal?

I've been here for 4 years now, and still can't figure out how (almost on a weekly basis) people manage to wreck on a two lane straight stretch!!! DRIVE STRAIGHT PEOPLE. And its usually a multi car pile up...which means, STOP RIDING PEOPLE'S BUMPERS. 3 second rule people...its not that hard!!! And slow down a bit, 5 over speed limit is plenty fast. What are you saving in that 5 mile stretch...30 seconds? I usually catch everyone that is whipping back and fourth trying to get ahead of everyone at the next light. Wow, can't get over how dumb people are when it comes to driving...

i live in san tan valley (pinal county) and it seems like 1 in 5 drivers are on drugs from the way they drive. NO ONE drives the speed limit but the thing that really pisses me off is those than use a turning lane to pass you. they will ride it out until it ends and then cut in front of you to get in the proper lane. i'm from OH and if you drove like that there someone would follow you to your destination and kick your ass!

the really sad part is patrolmen don't seem to worry about it!

I drive to work in Phx. 5 days a week. I live in Rancho Bella Vista South so I get onto Gantzel/Ironwood and go north all the way to the '60'. My question is this; from Gantzel to past the new Poston Butte school the sign says 35 MPH. Once you get past the school the speed limit is 50 MPH. I stay in the 'slow' lane and do 35 all the way past the school. Just about everyone blows by me like I am standing still. If I remember correctly speeding in a school zone is something like a $500.00 fine, maybe more? So do we just ignore the speed limit signs and decide what speed we want to go or what?
Also, every morning there is some woman in the lane next to me putting on make up and sort of driving, mostly all over the road. One day a woman almost ran into a truck/cement mixer. This is worse than texting! Maybe get up a little earlier so you can do this at home?

yes i know that road. the traffic on that road comes from the subdivisions in san tan valley. about one in five or six drivers in that area are the worse drivers i have ever seen in my life. they do things normal drivers would never dream. they have not learned to drive better because there are no law enforcement people around to correct them. why i don't know.

i know this crazy stuff doesn't always work because there is one siren after another in the early morning and late afternoon.

being a defensive driver here is a MUST!

LuckysMom wrote:

I drive to work in Phx. 5 days a week. I live in Rancho Bella Vista South so I get onto Gantzel/Ironwood and go north all the way to the '60'. My question is this; from Gantzel to past the new Poston Butte school the sign says 35 MPH. Once you get past the school the speed limit is 50 MPH. I stay in the 'slow' lane and do 35 all the way past the school. Just about everyone blows by me like I am standing still. If I remember correctly speeding in a school zone is something like a $500.00 fine, maybe more? So do we just ignore the speed limit signs and decide what speed we want to go or what?
Also, every morning there is some woman in the lane next to me putting on make up and sort of driving, mostly all over the road. One day a woman almost ran into a truck/cement mixer. This is worse than texting! Maybe get up a little earlier so you can do this at home?

yes i know that road. the traffic on that road comes from the subdivisions in san tan valley. about one in five or six drivers in that area are the worse drivers i have ever seen in my life. they do things normal drivers would never dream. they have not learned to drive better because there are no law enforcement people around to correct them. why i don't know.

i know this crazy stuff doesn't always work because there is one siren after another in the early morning and late afternoon.

being a defensive driver here is a MUST!

You are so right! Very seldom is there any law enforcement from Pinal County on that stretch of road. Everyone thinks they are Indie drivers.
Problem is there are not too many other ways out of there. I have experimented taking a few different roads but ultimately the end result is the same. It's like a free for all....

LuckysMom wrote:

You are so right! Very seldom is there any law enforcement from Pinal County on that stretch of road. Everyone thinks they are Indie drivers.
Problem is there are not too many other ways out of there. I have experimented taking a few different roads but ultimately the end result is the same. It's like a free for all....

hunt/ellsworth, gary/rittenhouse, gantzel/ironwood, bad drivers are everywhere in this area. i see them in parking lots for god's sake! i see bad drivers outside of san tan valley but not as frequently. the county could make a ton of money on these morons but until then its lawless.:(

Yup! You're singing to the choir. The other thing I have noticed is a lot of carnage on the roads. On Saturday,(I had to leave the deep south and go to 'town') there was a german shepherd that had been hit. I have seen the odd javelina, snake, skunk etc. But I can't get over the number of dogs and cats. It is very sad. This morning on Ironwood there was a sawhorse in the middle of the road. I hate following construction vehicles, you never know what is going to fly off. I have a new vehicle and have had to replace the windshield once so far..... I bet the convertible drivers and bikers have had to dodge objects!

I haven't noticed a lot of animals on the sides of the roads, but then again I am used to dead deer every 1/2 mile, so I may just not be noticing them.

However, I have noticed the driving as well..........Turn signals! Does anyone in AZ know what they are and how they are supposed to be used?? Sheeshhh! In addition to driving too fast/far over the limit (Ironwood seems to be the worst that I have been on so far) what is with the tailgating? I can't believe the number of people that fly along 3 inches from the car ahead of them and then have to slam on the brakes at the stop lights every 1/10 of a mile. I can see why AZ has some of the highest insurance rates in the US.

JustMeNOTFreezin wrote:

I haven't noticed a lot of animals on the sides of the roads, but then again I am used to dead deer every 1/2 mile, so I may just not be noticing them.
However, I have noticed the driving as well..........Turn signals! Does anyone in AZ know what they are and how they are supposed to be used?? Sheeshhh! In addition to driving too fast/far over the limit (Ironwood seems to be the worst that I have been on so far) what is with the tailgating? I can't believe the number of people that fly along 3 inches from the car ahead of them and then have to slam on the brakes at the stop lights every 1/10 of a mile. I can see why AZ has some of the highest insurance rates in the US.

not freezin any more are you?:) ok remember this, when on a single lane road drive 10-15 over the speed limit. when on a two lane road drive 10-15 over in the right lane and 20-30 over in the left lane. that should help with the tailgaters.:)

amazzzed wrote:

<quoted text>
not freezin any more are you?:) ok remember this, when on a single lane road drive 10-15 over the speed limit. when on a two lane road drive 10-15 over in the right lane and 20-30 over in the left lane. that should help with the tailgaters.:)

and don't worry about getting caught, there is no traffic law enforcement.

amazzzed wrote:

<quoted text>
not freezin any more are you?:) ok remember this, when on a single lane road drive 10-15 over the speed limit. when on a two lane road drive 10-15 over in the right lane and 20-30 over in the left lane. that should help with the tailgaters.:)

LOL! Nope, not freezin' anymore and I love it! I have finally reached the "older driver" insurance rate and am paranoid to get a speeding ticket. Particularly as I will have a 16 yr old driver soon, I need the lowest rates possible. I still have out of state plates so I am pretty diligent on watching the speed, just in case.
LOL, yes 20 - 30 over would help a bit with the tailgaters!

amazzzed wrote:

<quoted text>
and don't worry about getting caught, there is no traffic law enforcement.

You know, I see a patrol car once in awhile, but nowhere near as often as I would think for the area size. I see one across form my development a few days a week, but not sure what he is patrolling as the road isn't really busy. Now if he would just stop the non-turn signal using drivers....lol.

When the speed limit is 35 and im going 45-50 and people are flying past me. Thats just crazy lol
and the speeders always hit the red lights so i just dont get it lol.

OMG247 wrote:

When the speed limit is 35 and im going 45-50 and people are flying past me. Thats just crazy lol
and the speeders always hit the red lights so i just dont get it lol.

yes but they are in front of you and that is soooo important to them. its more important than their safety or yours!

JustMeNOTFreezin wrote:

I haven't noticed a lot of animals on the sides of the roads, but then again I am used to dead deer every 1/2 mile, so I may just not be noticing them.
However, I have noticed the driving as well..........Turn signals! Does anyone in AZ know what they are and how they are supposed to be used?? Sheeshhh! In addition to driving too fast/far over the limit (Ironwood seems to be the worst that I have been on so far) what is with the tailgating? I can't believe the number of people that fly along 3 inches from the car ahead of them and then have to slam on the brakes at the stop lights every 1/10 of a mile. I can see why AZ has some of the highest insurance rates in the US.

I have decided that turn signal here must be an option when you buy a vehicle. Now brakes are a different matter. When someone is riding my a$$ all I know is their brakes better be good and they better work. I also find it annoying to have people forever hitting their brakes, if they left room in between---like you are supposed to that would not be necessary. I am thinking of calling the Pinal County Sherriff's Department to see if anyone actually works there and if they do where are they? Because they sure aren't out patroling the roads.....

well....i went to LA last weekend and I must say I had my eyes opened. the traffic is much worse than here as well as the driving quality. so now i have to wonder if the bad drivers we see here are actually from LA. just kiddin...probably not. :)